Stipagrostis hirtigluma

Stipagrostis hirtigluma (Afrikaans: bloutwa) is a densely tufted perennial grass. It occurs across most of Africa east to Pakistan^[1] in bushveld, karoo, and desert regions. In Namibia, it grows in dry, warm parts, in stony or sandy places and on rocky outcrops.

Stipagrostis hirtigluma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Stipagrostis
Species:	S. hirtigluma
Binomial name
Stipagrostis hirtigluma (Steud. ex Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter
Synonyms[1]
Arthratherum hirtiglume (Steud. ex Trin. & Rupr.) Jaub. & Spach

There are three subspecies of Stipagrostis hirtigluma:

• Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. hirtigluma (Steud. ex Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter – most of Africa through Middle East to South Asia (Pakistan)^[2]
• Stipagrostis hirtigluma subsp. patula (Hack.) De Winter – southern Africa, from Angola to Mozambique and south^[3]
• Stipagrostis hirtigluma var. pearsonii (Henrard) De Winter – Angola and Namibia^[4][5]

Stipa hirtigluma subsp. hirtigluma and S. h. subsp. pearsonii display many similarities.^[6]